The Management Development Series (MDS) engages managers and senior leaders of human services agencies in a professional development experience grounded in evidence-based research, models and frameworks from the management field. UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education has adapted an effective leadership framework specifically for human services.
Designed modules support managers and leaders in advancing their skills in the following areas:
- Leading Change
- Leading in Context
- Leading People
- Leading for Results
Through this enhanced, evidence-based program and strong partnerships with human services agencies nationwide, UC Davis Human Services advances its mission to deliver innovative, research-driven workforce and organizational development services that improve the lives of those most in need.
Modules
Module 1 - Leadership Identity and Vision
Human services agencies face complex, unpredictable challenges. Increasingly, leadership is about fostering innovation and inclusion amid ambiguity. Knowing your leadership identity and crafting a vision for the future is essential for today’s managers. This session sets the stage for the self-reflection and awareness required for high performance.
Participants will explore foundational management models and tools tailored to human services, establishing the groundwork for the series. The session also clarifies the relationship between leadership and management, emphasizing the manager’s role in building a culture of accountability and continuous quality improvement.
Module 2 - Leveraging Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Social Intelligence
Research has shown that among all traits effective leaders bring to the workplace, emotional intelligence (EQ) is a more reliable predictor of overall success than IQ. EQ is the ability to recognize and effectively manage one’s own emotions and those of others.
This module underscores EQ as essential to managing workplace conflict. Leaders will learn how to help others navigate tension, bring disagreements into the open and guide teams toward shared solutions. They will explore how understanding different perspectives strengthens collaboration and trust.
Module 3 - Promoting Teamwork
Success in a role today doesn’t guarantee success tomorrow, especially when organizational priorities or team dynamics shift. The real question is not whether leaders have the right skills, but whether they can learn and adapt.
This module explores how managers can foster effective teamwork to improve productivity, creativity, innovation and job satisfaction. Participants will learn to build trust, leverage conflict, gain commitment, foster accountability and drive improved results.
Module 4 - Ethical Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
Leadership involves two core processes: diagnosis and action. These begin with critical thinking and the ability to gather and analyze data.
This module challenges leaders to slow down, think critically and collect the necessary information to make informed, ethical decisions. The goal is to foster deliberate, values-driven leadership in high-stakes situations.
Module 5 - Systems Thinking: Leading in Context
To lead change effectively, leaders must act decisively in complex environments where regulations, finances, people and systems are interdependent. Systems-thinking shifts the focus from individual elements to the relationships between them and their broader environment.
This module introduces integrative thinking and encourages managers to examine how understanding systems can help them influence outcomes—even in unpredictable contexts.
Module 6 - Leading Change
Despite significant investments in formal change processes, many organizational change initiatives fail. A key reason: leaders often overlook the human side of change.
This module emphasizes that successful change leadership means leading people, not just managing processes. Leaders will learn to support staff by removing personal and professional barriers and recognizing that people need time to adapt—even in fast-paced environments.
Module 7 - Building Individual and Organizational Capacity
Organizational capacity building strengthens systems, structures, processes and personnel to boost overall effectiveness. At its core is staff engagement and retention.
This module examines the manager’s role in developing internal resources to improve operations and services. Leaders will learn strategies to retain talent and build a resilient, capable workforce positioned for long-term success.